A pram is a bed for an infant on four wheels, often with a hood that retracts. It is used to push the baby from room to room or on walks. Once a child can sit up, it has outgrown a pram. Pram, the preferred word for those in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia, comes from an abbreviation for the word perambulator.
A baby carriage is the same item as a pram, it is an infant bed on four wheels that often has a hood that retracts. Americans and Canadians prefer to use the term baby carriage.
Another phrase that is interchangeable with baby carriage is baby buggy. Rubber baby buggy bumpers is a well-known tongue twister, probably one reason for the continuing popularity of the term.
Examples
So it was no surprise that her daughter Princess Charlotte was pushed to church for her christening today in a pram that was previously used by the Queen for her own children. (Daily Mail)
France has banned Silver Cross prams from being sold in their shops, in what the firm’s owner has described as a blatant example of European Union free trade rules being flouted. (Telegraph)
But for every Lisa Curry, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, or Nova Peris that have attracted the slightly grating “Supermum” tag, there are others battling to manage child care and travel demands, financial considerations, or what Kent believes is the perception from prospective employers that there may be more baggage attached than just a car seat and pram. (Canberra Times)
All of a sudden, fellow humankind — the park was full of walkers and dogs on leash, and one traveling by baby carriage. (Monterey County Herald)
Their source went on to say, “She’s still eating healthy foods, but it’s clear that her cravings have hit full force — the other day, she was eating a burger while pushing the baby carriage.” (Hollywood Life)
Walt applies his mechanic skills to the baby buggy, for instance, adding headlights to facilitate evening walks. (The New Yorker)